The Dragon's Flower

XH 109

When Yang Ling saw Xiao Hua making her way towards the Summer Courtyard's pavilion, where he and the princess could be found debating about what kind of peanuts tasted best, he wanted to jump out from his seat and demanded answers from her.

But his idea was quick to toss away when he saw the Third Prince walking beside Xiao Hua.

Yang Ling: '...' She should be bringing his bow, not the evil Third Prince! Σ(°△°|||)︴

"Third brother," Long Lian stood up and warmly greeted. "Welcome home."

The Third Prince nodded with a gentle smile. "I've bought gifts for you. An Jing will put them in your carriage."

Long Lian radiated joy upon hearing the word 'gifts'. "Thank you, third brother."

The pair of gentle eyes immediately turned into indifference when it landed on Yang Ling. The archery fanatic boy felt as he was a defenceless prey that a great devil had picked as his next victim.

"Oh? You are here as well?" The Third Prince looked genuinely shocked at Yang Ling's presence.

Had Yang Ling not know that the Third Prince knew about his arrival earlier thanks to a large number of servants that had seen him entering the residence earlier, he would have believed his act! The Third Prince also knew when anyone enters or leave his residence thanks to his large amount of inner energy.

"I'm not leaving until I get back Flaming bow!" Yang Ling declared. "I will stick next to you! Wherever you go, I go! Whatever you eat, I eat! When you go to bath and sleep, I will be there too!"

Xiao Hua: '...' What to do, this young lady looks forward to the two last scenarios!

Luckily for the new couple, one of them was sane and unruffled from Yang Ling's crude threats.

The Third Prince's smile was gentle as he innocently asked, "You wish to stay with this prince?"

Despite it was a harmless question, Yang Ling felt nothing but threat underneath it!

Yang Ling: '...' This Lord forgot he's a devil!

"...If...If you did not return my bow, I will stick to Xiao Hua instead!"

Xiao Hua: '...' Why did you pull this innocent bystander in?!

A heavy swing of a polished sword had Yang Ling gotten out of his seat with a low roll.

"Princess, don't swing your sword at me!" Yang Ling cried out as soon as he gets back to his feet. "What happens if my beautiful face got harmed and then your third brother discards me? He only keeps good looking people around him!"

Xiao Hua trembled in excitement. That line... the perfect white lotus line when the cannon fodder defending his own wrongdoings from the female lead by being shamelessly announcing the male lead's affection towards him!

She broke out from her delusional fantasies when she sensed bloodlust coming from beside her. Glancing at the Third Prince beside her, Xiao Hua confirmed that line not only pissed off the 'female lead' but also the 'male lead' that was conveniently used as a crutch to help the white lotus to proclaim his innocence!

Classmate Yang Ling, this young lady does not know whether to praise you for your bravery or shake my head for your seeking death talent!

"Throw him out," the Third Prince mercilessly ordered.

"You stole my beloved, you villain!" Yang Ling cried out in anguish that would have earned him an Oscar acting award. Duan Xi Ying and Da Bei each grabbed one of Yang Ling's arms and dragged him out of the courtyard, with their victim trying to drag his feet to stop them.

"How can you do this to me? Do you know what I'm feeling now will be the same as how you will feel if someone steals your Xiao Hua? Or you don't really like Xiao Hua at all? You are such a heartless man but then with that face of yours, you can easily replace her with another pretty lady-"

A slender hand grabbed Yang Ling's face and ruthlessly smashed his head to the ground to stop him from prattling. The loud bang from the impact shaken Xiao Hua's heart violently as fear creeping into her heart at how brutal Duan Xi Ying was!

"Xi Ying's master is the third prince, not Yang Ling. When Yang Ling insulted master and Xiao Hua, Yang Ling should expect Xi Ying to beat him~"

Duan Xi Ying had seen how pale Xiao Hua's face had to become and so despite her words sounded as if it was spoken for Yang Ling's benefit, it was actually intended for Xiao Hua, with the intention to explain her actions.

Naturally, Long Zhu was aware of Xiao Hua's horrified gaze as well and spoke to Yang Ling. "I can return your bow but that does not mean you are free from punishment."

Yang Ling, who was supposed to suffer a serious head injury, immediately sat up and kneeled before the Third Prince with an earnest expression. "I understand, Third Prince! Please grant me my deserved punishment!"

Xiao Hua: '...' Such a drastic change of attitude! And why did he look fine even after that?! There's not even a drop of blood on him!

The confusion on Xiao Hua's face prompted the Third Prince to explain. "Cultivators have a stronger body defence compared to those that aren't a cultivator. That head attack is nothing but a scratch to Yang Ling, a third rank cultivator."

"Yes! As a third rank cultivator, normal attacks could not injure me anymore!" Yang Ling gloated happily.

Le Xiao Ting's sadist part reared its head and wondered if he would feel pain if she kicked his third leg.

"The bow will be returned to you tomorrow. Go back," the Third Prince told Yang Ling, who had stood up and pat his clothes from the dirt.

"Ah~ At least feed me dinner before kicking me out! I'm hungry!"

Indeed, without Xiao Hua notice, it's already evening and the sun was setting. She had eaten dessert earlier so her stomach had not complained to feed it.

Inwardly sighing, Xiao Hua was glad she trained because the amount of food she had eaten would be burned from the exercise. That must be how most martial artist or cultivator keeps their body shape.

"An Jing, prepare a meal for our guest."

"Yes, Your Highness." An Jing silently appeared and silently disappeared like her ninja-like husband and children.

The meal was served at Summer Courtyard in one of the dining room instead of having it under the pavilion like they used to. Just as they sat down, Tian Chi and Tian Zi arrived with their evening meals, along with the delicious aroma.

"Oh! Food is here!" Yang Ling's eyes were glued to the dishes as the inner maids placed them on the table. "Wooooah, Long Zhu, you treat your guest well!"

Tonight's first dish was sweet and sour pork, the meat was sliced thickly with a layer of fat on them. The second dish was the thin-sliced roasted duck where the skin was fried and crispy, and one can imagine the oil leaking into their mouth once biting on it. The third dish was steamed dumplings with cube-sized tofu scattered around it.

Seeing the dishes, Xiao Hua's stomach growled, informing its owner that it wants to eat them despite she was not hungry earlier.

I'm living the life of a pig~ (ˆ(oo)ˆ)

If Xiao Hua had to increase her training to burn her fats after eating so much food, she does not mind it. She was a foodie after all!

"Eh? Tian Zi, where's my rice?" Yang Ling asked when there was no rice bowl in front of him when the princess and Xiao Hua have one each. It was not surprising that there was no bowl of rice for the Third Prince.

"Lord Yang Ling, please wait." Tian Zi smiled as a brief amusement flash past in her eyes. "This is a specially prepared meal for you."

Tian Chi placed a large bowl of noodles in front of Yang Ling with a pair of silver chopsticks. Yang Ling was shocked when he saw the noodles and was rendered to mute at the large amount of vegetables on the bowl.

"W-Why?!" Yang Ling broke from his statue imitation and roared at the Third Prince. "Why noodles for me?!"

"That is your dinner." The Third Prince picked a dumpling for himself.

"You know I hate noodles and vegetables!”

Le Xiao Ting disliked eating noodles and vegetables too. She had found a comrade! However, during the times she was too lazy to secure dinners during working days, she would just cook instant noodles to eat. Instant noodles were different from other noodles.

"You can choose not to eat it and go home."

Yang Ling stiffens in realization. So this was his punishment for losing? To him, eating the soggy, tasteless noodles was a heavy punishment! Adding in the bitter vegetables, it became a hellish punishment.

"I... I will eat them!" Yang Ling roared like a sportsman does before doing their best to win the competition for the gold medal.

Seeing Yang Ling shoving the noodles and vegetables into his mouth like a starving beast, Xiao Hua silently shed imaginary tears for him.

Comrade, do your best! Shove them into your mouth and hold them in! You can vomit all you want behind the scene!

chocolily